Lower Saucon Smooths Way For Firehouse

Lower Saucon Township council-men last night smoothed the way for a proposed Steel City firehouse, waiving their fee for reviewing subdivision plans that will be submitted for the project.

Councilmen, however, tabled action on repurchasing the property they had deeded for the facility for $1.

Steel City residents want the officials to continue using that deededproperty, at Schwab and Matthews avenues, as a ball field. The township recreation board would like the officials to contribute $6,000 toward purchasing an alternate site along Riverside Drive.

The councilmen also fielded two complaints from the audience - one about an unpaved street in Steel City, the other about a copy of a letter written by a former township official that made its way into Northampton County Court.

In addition, the councilmen decided to seek a consultant for buying a microcomputer for administrative work, and to continue looking into the establishment of a township newsletter. They also passed a resolution recognizing the work of Mary Curtin, former township manager.

"We do it because they are non-profit organizations and provide a service for the township," Chehi said after the meeting.

Such fees hinge on the amount of engineering and related work done by the township on an application, Chehi said.

He told council members that the fire company must subdivide the land it wants to purchase along Riverside Drive for the proposed firehouse.

Chehi said reacquiring the originally proposed construction site and contributing money to help buy an alternate site is "not a bad idea in principle."

He said the $6,000 contribution being suggested by the recreation board would not come from the township's general operating budget. It would come from a fund for buying open space and recreational areas in the township, he said.

"It's one of the healthier budget coffers we have," Chehi said of the open space fund.

Asked if there are any fees involved in reacquiring the property,township Solicitor George Hahalis said a clause in the agreement with the fire company requires that the land be given back to the township in the event the property is not used for fire-fighting purposes.

Council tabled the matter until the fire company's proposed property acquisition is clarified.

In addition to discussing the playground, council received plans for a backstop that would be built there. The plans were submitted by the Steel City Community Action Organization, a residents' group.

Council agreed to check township records after hearing a complaint that a part of Fritz Drive in Steel City is not paved. A resident said the road should be paved and maintained because it is shown as a township street on a township map.

Township Engineer James Birdsall said the street is shown as a "proposed future township street" and hence cannot be maintained by the township without further action.

Chehi said the township will check the road's legal status and determine what improvements might be made.

Township resident Lois August, of Easton R.4, questioned council about a letter written by Mary Curtin and sent to township Fire Marshal Joseph Luybli last November. August said a copy of the letter was used to discredit Luybli as a witness during a private lawsuit involving August and a contractor in Northampton County Court.

August described the letter as being "private" and said it should not have been released.

Chehi said the letter was a "public document" and hence could be made available upon request. He said he had been told that someone was seeking the letter, but he did not know who it was. Chehi said Curtin's letter had sought to clarify the fire marshal's duties.

August said Luybli had inspected a house she built in the township in 1982.

August claimed the township's release of the letter amounted to "legal conspiracy," and she called on all councilmen involved to submit letters of resignation.